In the recent events of the world, tents are one of those hot items that can be hard to find. I will keep this short and sweet and cut the time researching to share with you the best tent you can use for children and families!
I have been camping since I was a child and the only brand of tent we ever used was Coleman! Coleman tents are about the only brand I will consider when it comes to tent camping. For 30 years of my life, it has been my go-to. There was a weird period when I entered adulthood and quit borrowing my parents’ gear, that I tried out a couple of big store brands and I was severely disappointed. Yes, they got the job done BUT they did not hold up to a long camping season and I feel that they would have been better for a play tent vs an actual outdoor shelter. Now as a parent, I solely use Coleman for my camping needs.
When choosing a tent, especially when you are camping with children, there are a few important things to look for!
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Tent Size
When you are looking at the size of a tent (when you are with kids) you will want to make sure that it is truly big enough for you. Think about whether you will be using air mattresses, how much luggage will be coming with you, will you need room for a Pack-N-Play, and will you be keeping your camp equipment need to be stored inside the tent as well. All of these items will take up room and you will want to plan accordingly. We went with the 6-person Coleman Sundome Tent because it held two queen sized mattresses and had a ton of head room. We have 4 people (2 adults, and 2 toddlers) a dog, and a suitcase. All of our gear is stored in the bed of our truck or in the backseat – depending on if we are in bear country or not. We did not use two Queen mattresses, rather a Queen and one Twin, and we had plenty of room to spare. Even with two Queen mattresses, there would have been room to move around and enough space to allow for good ventilation.
Tent Setup
I prefer to use a Conventional styled tent over the Instant or Fast Pitch but that is strictly preference. I personally feel that they hold up better and I am also very efficient at setting up tents so there is no struggle there for me. Most of Coleman’s Conventional styled tents still have a short setup time and they disclose this in the features section of the description! You can see here how easy it is to set up the Conventional tent with two children helping.
You might be interest in this post: What to Know When Camping with Kids
Tent Shape
The shape of the tent can really play a part in ventilation and comfort. Coleman does a great job at building in good ventilation systems so for me that isn’t a huge concern but I do want a tent that gives me and my husband plenty of room to move around. If you are getting up in the middle of the night for a bathroom break, you will want to make sure your tent is not close lining you or making it hard to move around.
Weather Proofed Tents
The biggest seller on Coleman tents for me is their WeatherTec system. This is the golden ticket to tents that hold up to the elements. Their tents have a tub-like floor that is made out of a tarp-like material which will help to keep water out (though I still recommend using a tarp underneath to prolong the life of your tent). You will also find welded corners and inverted seams which further keep the elements outside of your tent. And my favorite is that these tents can withstand winds up to 35mph. I have been in a leaky, flooded tent that laid flat with me in it due to strong winds – you don’t ever want to be in that situation. Needless to say, the tent that did that was NOT a Coleman.
You also might want to read: How to Pack Your Camp Box
Essential Tent Features
Coleman makes a variety of tents that range from seasonal (warm weather) to all-seasons. Depending on the type of camping you plan to do and if you are in a wet or dry climate, you will want to pick your tent based upon that. Simply put, if you plan to do any camping that isn’t warm, don’t get the tent that has the open mesh back! With kids, you may also be using electricity. Some Coleman tents are equipped with a little pocket that you can run an electric cord through, which does not compromise water getting in or anything from the outside. These little pockets also keep the cords from being strung out all throughout the tents. The other important feature is the storage bags. They are great for storing glasses, phones, pacifiers, diapers, etc. Anything that you want easy access to in the middle of the night can be held in these.
All of these are super important to take into consideration when choosing a tent. It will directly affect your comfort, ease of setup and clean up, and how efficient your trip is – because my guess is, if you plan to go camping, you don’t want to spend the whole time fighting a tent. You want to pop a tent and enjoy your vacation. If you’d like to purchase the tent that my family uses, it is the Coleman Dome Tent for Camping. We purchased ours from Amazon but you can also visit Coleman’s website and they have an amazing feature that tells you where you can purchase their tents as well.
What is your favorite tent? Are there any brands that I should give a try?
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